The present invention relates to a printing control apparatus, printing method and printing system, e.g., a printing control apparatus, printing method and printing system relating to a printer having a stapling function for binding together a plurality of output sheets of paper.
When printing paper of size A4, for example, is loaded into a copier, generally the paper can be set in either of two feed orientations. By placing the printing paper longitudinally so that the long edge thereof will be vertical and feeding the paper in the direction of the short edge, the direction of the short edge will coincide with the main-scan direction. (The paper size will be denoted xe2x80x9cA4xe2x80x9d in this case.) Alternatively, by placing the printing paper transversely so that the long edge thereof will be horizontal and feeding the paper in the direction of the long edge, the direction of the long edge will coincide with the main-scan direction. (The paper size will be denoted xe2x80x9cA4Rxe2x80x9d in this case.) If the direction in which the printing paper is set in the former case is taken as being the forward direction, then the direction in which the printing paper is set in the latter case is equivalent to a case where the printing paper in the former case has been rotated by 90xc2x0. In the description that follows, printing paper that has been set in the latter direction shall be referred to as xe2x80x9cR-typexe2x80x9d paper and paper that has been set in the former direction shall be referred to as xe2x80x9cnon-R-typexe2x80x9d paper.
In a copier having a stapling function for binding together a plurality of sheets of printing paper that have been output, the user is capable of freely setting the location at which the recording paper is stapled (this location will be referred to as the xe2x80x9cstaple positionxe2x80x9d below).
In ordinary copiers, paper-size information (xe2x80x9cA4xe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cA4Rxe2x80x9d, etc.) indicating the sizes of paper contained in a plurality of paper feed trays (paper feed units) can be acquired. By referring to this information, therefore, the user can specify the desired paper feed unit and output the printing paper of the desired size and in the set orientation.
When the copier having the above-described stapling function according to the prior art is made to implement the stapling function with respect to printing paper that can be set in both of the aforesaid orientations, i.e., R- and non-R-type printing paper, it is possible for the user to set the staple position at will irrespective of the orientation of the printing paper actually placed in the copier proper.
For example, if the staple position is set for A4 paper, then, regardless of the set orientation of the paper, the user can select a position at which stapling of the paper is possible in case of the non-R-type arrangement (A4) and a position at which stapling of the paper is possible in case of the R-type arrangement (A4R). In other words, if stapling is possible for either A4 or A4R, then a staple position can be set.
Accordingly, if paper orientation actually set in the copier proper and the set staple position are not in conformity, then a situation may arise in which stapling cannot be performed at the set position. As a consequence, the user is compelled to carry out test printing in order to check whether the set staple position is appropriate.
In addition, if printing paper having the same size has been placed in two or more paper feed units when output using a desired printing paper is performed in a copier having a plurality of paper feed units, the user may become confused as to which paper feed unit to specify.
The present invention has been proposed to solve the problems of the prior art and its object is to provide a printing control apparatus, printing control method and printing system for implementing a stapling function having improved operability.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing a printing control apparatus for controlling a printer having a stapling function for binding together a plurality of sheets of printing paper that have been printed out, comprising: acquisition means for acquiring paper information relating to printing paper that has been set in the printer; detection means for detecting, on the basis of the paper information, a position at which the printing paper can be stapled; and staple-position setting means for setting a staple position in the printer on the basis of the detected position at which stapling can be performed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing control apparatus, printing control method and printing system for implementing a function that enables selection of a paper feed unit through a simpler operation.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing a printing control apparatus for controlling a printer having a plurality of paper feed units in which it is possible to stack a plurality of sheets of printing paper, comprising: acquisition means for acquiring, for each paper feed unit of the printer, paper information relating to printing paper that has been set; paper information display means for displaying, for each paper feed unit, the paper information that has been acquired by the acquisition means; paper feed unit designation means for making it possible to input a user command for setting a target paper feed unit, which is the object of an output operation, from among the plurality of paper feed units; paper feed unit setting means for setting the target paper feed unit based upon the user command; and control means for controlling printing on the printing paper that has been stacked in the target paper feed unit.
In accordance with the present invention as described above, the invention is particularly advantageous in that a stapling function having improved operability can be provided. It is also possible to provide a function that enables selection of a paper feed unit through a simpler operation.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.